Knitting machine



T. H. JONES KNITTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 1, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet l March 151, 1938.

Fig.5.

T. H. JONES KNITTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 1; 1955 Fig. 6.

4 Sheets-Sheet 2 T. H. JONES KNITTING MACHINE March 15, 1938.

Filed Oct. '1, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 March 15, 1938. T, H J NES 2,111,450

KNITTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 1, 1955 4 sheets-sheet 4 BY KM/6 vflzz Arromwsys l Patented Mar. 15, 1938 vireo STATES PATENT- oFFicE Application October 1, 1935, Serial No. 43,111 In Great Britain October 2, 1934 12 Claims.

This invention is for improvements in or relating to knitting machines and knitted fabrics and has for its main object to provide a novel method of, and machine for knitting. The inv 5 vention is applicable to all fabrics composed of knitted or crocheted stitches whether in rows, chains or groups, and to fabrics containing such stitches, such fabrics including for example 110 siery, warp and milanese. 1

Known methods of knitting invariably consist in drawing or pulling a thread loop through an existing or previously formed loop; the instrument employed being a hooked needle. The present invention provides a method of knitting (the expression knitting being utilized in its broadest sense to include theprovision of all interlooped stitches referred to above) in which the new loops are pushed through the existing or previously formed ones. In this method there is employed a novel instrument for pushing one thread loop through another, which instrument is of thin elongated form and has a thread-receiving throat, recess, notch or the like at its end. More specifically, the instrument may comprise in the main a plane strip (either parallel or tapered) of sheet metal having a U-shaped or similarly shaped notch in its extreme end. Such an instrument may be made substantially thinner than the hooked needles now in use and indeed may be of no greater thickness than a sinker.

The invention also includes a knitting machine comprising at least two loop forming instruments, each having a thread-receiving means at one end, which instruments are disposed at an angle one to the other with the said ends adjacent, means for supplying thread thereto, means for operating one instrument to push a loop of said thread through an existing loop held on the other instrument, and means for casting off the 40 said existing loop.

In order that the invention may be better understood, an embodiment thereof will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a sectional View showing the relevant parts of a circular knitting machine according to this invention.

Figure 2 is a front view of .a knitting instrument employed in the cylinder thereof, and 50 Figure 3 is a plan of the instrument used in the dial thereof.

Figure 4 shows the instrument-operating cams of cylinder and dial,

Figures 5 to 9 illustrate the stages in the formation of loops according to this invention, in

which figures the instruments are shown at the positions reached on the lines 55,etc., to 9-9 of Figure 4, while Figures 10 to 14 show the various stages in the formation of loops according to British Patent No. 329,098 and U. S. Patents Nos. 1,894,319 and 1,960,161.

Fig. 15 is a straight line development of means for producing the instrument movements; in this figure the lines 5-5 to I l-14 correspond with the stages shown in Figs. 5 to 14.

Throughout this description like reference numerals indicate like parts.

In Figure 1 it has been elected to illustrate purely by Way of example the application of the invention to a machine in which the knitting elements or instruments operate independently and successively as in an independent needle machine. There are two beds of these instruments. set at an angle which will usually be 90. The illustrated machine comprises an instrument cylinder cut in its external periphery with tricks 2| in which loop forming instruments 22 reciprocate, said instruments being provided with butts 24 actuated by cams indicated generally by the numeral 25. Cooperating with the cylinder instruments 22 there are dial instruments 26 mounted in tricks in a dial 21, the said instruments being also provided with butts and actuated by dial cams indicated generally by the numeral 28. Additionally, a thread feeder 29 is provided, movable in relation to the instrument beds, for feeding thread T to the thread-engaging ends of the instruments 22, 26. Each instrument consists of a thin blade, say .010" thick and extremely narrow, the width of the instrument being determined by the considerations of rigidity and of length. The extreme end of each instrument is provided with a deep V-shaped nick or throat such as 220., 260,, which serves to engage the thread in a manner hereinafter specified and to push a loop of it through a previously formed loop held on an opposed instrument.

It is to be observed that the instruments 22, 26, are mounted substantially at right angles so that when an instrument in either bed 20 or 21 is projected across the corresponding instrument of the other bed, it moves in sliding contact therewith and so readily inserts itself between a leg of a previously-formed stitch loop held on said instrument and the side of the instrument itself. In order to facilitate this, the instruments may be slightly bowed or cranked as is shown in Figures 2 and 3. p

In describing the action of the machine,

it is convenient to commence with the production of a new course of stitches. At this moment, see Figure 5, the fabric will hang from the instruments of one line, say from the cylinder instruments 22, the last formed loop 0L being suspended from the throat 22a thereof, and as reference to Figures 4 and 5 will show, these cylinder instruments are at their highest level, while the dial instruments 26 are retracted. As the instruments pass through the knitting cams in the direction shown by the arrows in Figs. 4 and 15, a new thread T is laid by the feeder 29 into the throats of the dial instruments 26 and these, as they approach the line 6-6, Fig. 4, are gradually projected by cam 32 (Fig. 4) or cam 32 (Fig. 15) so that each dial instrument transfixes the old loop 0L held on the corresponding cylinder instrument and, passing between one leg of that loop and the side of the said instrument, forces a new loop NL of the thread T through it. Thereafter, the cylinder instruments are lowered by cam 31 (Fig. 4) or 3| (Fig. 15) so that, as is shown in Figure '7, they are completely retracted from the old loops 0L and the latter left transfixed by and supported on the dial instruments 25. Next, these latter instruments are slightly retracted by the cam 34 (Fig. 4) or 36 (Fig. 15) to slacken the new loops and, as at the line 83 the cylinder instruments have been slightly raised by the cam 33, the long nebs 22b of the latter enter the new loops NL, Fig. 8. Further retraction of the dial instruments and elevation of the cylinder instruments causes each new loop NL to be suspended from the throat of a cylinder instrument and causes the dial instruments 28 to be completely retracted from the old loops which are thus cast off to produce a new course of knitting, Fig. 9. These operations are then repeated,

It will be observed that if each successive loop is pushed in the same direction through the preceding loop, plain fabric is produced. If, however, on arrival at the stage shown in Figure 7, instead of the new loops being transferred to the cylinder instruments and the dial instruments retracted, the cylinder instruments rise to take thread from a feeder such as 29 and force loops of that thread through the said new loops, the succeeding loop in each wale is drawn in the opposite direction and purl fabric is produced. Similarly, by dividing the cylinder and dial instruments so that certain cooperating instruments proceed to the stage of Figure 9 before forming the new loops, while others proceed no further than the stage shown in Figure 7, rib fabric is produced.

Sinkers or web holders may be provided for controlling the stitches already formed and for assisting in the formation of the new loops.

It will be appreciated that by feeding thread to and fro for a limited number of instruments, as is usual in warp machines, instead of feeding the thread along the whole line of instrument, warp knitted fabric may be produced; orif separate thread is fed to each instrument, and the threads traversed, a traversed warp fabric is produced.

By varying the sequence of operations of the stitch forming instrument a locked or tied stitch can be produced, i. e. a stitch which will prevent or resist laddering or running in the event of thread breakage. For example, a lock stick can be made similar to that described in the aforesaid patents and one method of accomplishing this will now be described. In this method a new loop is pushed through an oldloop andiscast oif over the latter. The locking thread is fed by a feeder 29' (Fig. 15) and knitting proceeds as aforesaid up to the stage of Fig. 8. The dial instruments 26 are retracted by cam 132 and the cylinder instruments 2i by cam I33 so that the new loops NL are taken in the throats of the latter instruments, while the old loops OL slip down off the short nebs 260 to the long nebs 261); where they rest in the throats 26a. This stage is shown in Figure 10. The cylinder instruments are further raised by cam I33 to bring the new loops NL to a more vertical attitude and the dial instruments 28 are projected by cam 134 past said cylinder instruments. By this projection, the new loops NL are transfixed by the dial instruments and the old loops 0L are pushed through the new loops as in Figure 11. Subsequent retraction of the cylinder instruments by cam l3l to the position shown in Figure 12 causes them to relinquish the new loops NL to the dial instruments 25. These instruments, therefore, support both loops, as they transfix the new loops and hold the old loops in their throats, and it will be noticed that the loop legs of the two loops are entwined. Thereafter the dial instruments are retracted somewhat by cam I35 to slacken the old loops 0L and the cylinder instruments are raised so that their nebs 22b penetrate the old loops. Upon further retraction of the dial instruments and elevation of the cylinder instruments by continuations of said cams I35 and I36, the stage illustrated in Figure 14 is shown, in which the old loops hang from the throats of the cylinder instruments, the dial instruments being completely withdrawn. This is the last stage in the formation of stitch loops that are each locked or tied by another loop that is passed through and closely around it.

Thus by the arrangement shown in Figure 15, wherein is indicated a cam development of a twofeed machine, a course of stitch loops (i. e. composed of loops indicated at 0L in Fig. 14) is produced from thread fed by the feeder 29 and these loops are locked by a course of locking loops (i. e. composed of loops indicated at NL in Fig. 14) produced from thread fed by the feeder 29'.

Obviously certain needles may follow the sequence of operations shown in Figures 5-9 and other needles, interspersed with them in any desired arrangement, may follow the sequence shown in Figures 10-14.

In a modification the locking loop NL shown in Figure 13 may be passed again through the old loop OL, the latter cast off, and the loop NL continued on as a stitch loop, having a loop of a subsequent course passed through it, as shown in Figure 2 of U. S. Patent No. 1,960,161. This may be efiected by causing the loop NL to be taken in the throat 28a subsequent to the stage of Figure 13 and, after the old loop has been taken in the throat Zla of the cylinder instrument, projecting the dial instrument again as in Figure 10 and casting off the old loop 0L as in Figures 11-14.

In making purl fabric, in which loops of one course are pushed in one direction and loops of the next course are pushed in the other direction the first course may be made of one thread and the next of another, the said threads being of different colour, shade, or character.

The movements of the instruments may be shortened if instead of the long nebs of cooperating instruments being adjacent, one instrument is reversed, say for example the dial instruments are arranged with the long nebs at the top.

I claim:--

1. A knitting machine, comprising at least two cooperating loop forming instruments each having a thread-receiving throat at one end, a mount ing for said instruments'such that they are disposed at an angle one to the other with the throat ends adjacent but in slightly staggered relationship, means for supplying a thread to be engaged by one of the instruments, and means for operating the instruments in turn to push a loop of the thread so delivered to one of the instruments through a previously formed thread loop on the other instrument and in so doing to pass between the flank of said other instrument and a leg of the loop-thereon, to cast ofi said previously formed loop onto the instrument forming the new loop, to push a further thread loop through the new loop, and to completely cast off the said previously formed loop, so that the said new loop becomes the previously formed loop, and so on in repetition, the instruments operating "in alternation each to pusha new loop through a loopheld on the other and means for guiding the threadforming instrument to pass in its loop-pushing movement aforesaid between the flank of 'said other instrument and a leg ofa loop thereon.

2. A knitting machine, comprising at least two cooperating knitting instruments having threadpushing ends disposed in proximity, means for supplying a single thread thereto, and means for operating the instruments, one to push a thread-loop from the delivered thread through an existing'loop of said thread on the other instrument and to receive said existing loop, to transfer the new loop to the first instrument and to cast off the existing loop, and so on in repetition.

3. A machine having two opposed lines of loopsforming instruments movable transversely, the instruments of the one line relatively to those of the other, each of which instruments is of thin elongatedform. with a thread-receiving notch at its ends, means supporting the instruments in two lines with the thread-receiving ends of one line adjacent the corresponding ends of the other and each instrument in one line in substantially the same plane as a cooperating instrument in the other line, means for supplying thread to the instruments, and means for operating the instruments to push loops of said thread through existing thread loops held on the opposed instruments and to remove the latter loops therefrom, thereby producing interlooped stitches.

4. A machine having two opposed lines of loop-forming instruments movable transversely, the instruments of the one line relatively to those of the other, each of which instruments is of thin elongated form with a thread-receiving notch at its ends, means supporting the instruments in two lines with the thread-receiving ends of one line adjacent the corresponding ends of the other and each instrument in one line in substantially the same plane as a cooperating instrument in the other line, means for supplying thread to the instruments, means for advancing the instruments of one line to push loops of said thread through existing thread loops on the opposed instruments, means for disengaging the opposed in-.

struments from said existing loops and 'for casting them onto the first said instruments, means for advancing the instruments of the other line to push further thread loops through the newly formed loops on the instruments of the first line, and means for disengaging said instruments of the first line from, the said existing loops and the said newly formed loops, casting off the former completely and casting the latter onto the instruments of the second line, and so on in repetition to form interlooped fabric.

5. A machine having two opposed lines of loop-forming instruments movable transversely, the instruments of the one line relatively to those of the other, each of which instruments is of thinelongated form with a thread-receiving notch at its end,.means supporting the instruments in two lines with the thread-receiving ends of one line adjacent the corresponding ends of the other and each instrument in one line in substantially the same plane as a cooperating instrument in the other line, means for supplying thread to the instruments, means for advancing the instruments of one line to push loops of said thread through existing thread loops on the opposed instriunents, means for disengaging the opposed instruments from said existing loops and for casting them onto the first said instruments, and means for casting the newly formed loops onto the instruments of the second line and for casting ofi completely the said existing loops, and so on in repetition to form interlooped fabric.

6. A knitting machine comprising at least two cooperating and opposed loop forming instruments of thin blade-like construction, each having a thread-receiving throat at one end, which instruments are disposed at an angle one to the other with the said ends adjacent, means for supplying. thread thereto, means for operating one instrument'to push a loop of said thread through an existing loop held on the other instrument, and means for casting off the said existing loop.

7. A knitting machine having at least two stitch-producing knitting instruments having thread-engaging ends, means supporting said instruments at an angle to each other with the thread-engaging ends in proximity, means for supplying thread to said ends, and means for causing one instrument to push a loop of thread through an existing stitch loop on the other instrument, for casting ofi the new loop over the existing loop onto said other instrument whereby the legs of the two loops are entwined, for pushing a further loop through the new loop, and for casting ofi said entwined loops.

8. A machine for producing interlooped fabric by pushing each new stitch loop through the preceding loop and for locking stitch loops by entwining locking loops with them, having at least two cooperating stitch-producing instruments having thread-engaging ends, means supporting said instruments, with the thread-engaging ends in proximity, for movement transversely of and in close proximity to each other, means for supplying thread to said ends, means for causing one instrument to push a locking loop of said thread through a stitch loop held on the other and to receive said stitch loop and to transfer the locking loop to the other, means for causing the first instrument to push the stitch loop through the locking loop and to receive the latter, whereby the two loops are entwined, and means for causing one instrument to push a further stitch loop through the first stitch loop and for casting off said first stitch loop.

9. A knitting machine for producing fabric in which stitch loops have locking loops entwined therewith having at least two opposed stitchproducing instruments having thread-receiving throats at their ends, means for supporting said instruments, with the said ends in proximity, for movement transversely of and in close proximity to each other, means for supplying thread to at least one of said instruments, means for causing that instrument to push a locking loop of the thread in its throat through an existing stitch loop on the other, means for transferring said locking loop to the throat of the other instrument and the stitch loop to the throat of the first instrument, means for casting off the locking loop onto the first instrument and over the stitch loop, and means for pushing a further stitch loop through the first stitch loop and for casting off said first loop and the locking loop.

10. A knitting machine for producing fabric in which stitch loops have locking loops entwined therewith having at least two opposed stitchproducing instruments having thread-receiving throats at their ends, means for supporting said instruments, with the said ends in proximity, for movement transversely of and in close proximity to each other, means for supplying thread to at least one of said instruments, means for causing that instrument to push a locking loop of the thread in its throat through an existing stitch loop on the other, means for transferring said locking loop to the throat of the other instrument and the stitch loop to the throat of the first instrument, means for casting ofi the locking loop onto the first instrument and over the stitch loop, means for transferring the stitch loop to the throat of the other instrument and for casting ofi the locking loop, and means for pushing a further stitch loop throughthe first stitch loop and for casting the latter completely off.

11. In a machine for producing interlooped stitches by pushing each new loop through a previously formed one, at least two loop-forming elements of thin blade-like construction, each having a thread-receiving throat at one operative end, means supporting the instruments for movement transversely of and in close proximity to each other to cause one to pass through a loop held in the throat of the other, which supporting means is such that the two instruments are in substantially the same plane and have their operative ends adjacent, means for supplying thread to theinstruments, means for moving one instrument to transfix an old loop held in the throat of the other instrument and to push a new loop of said thread through said old loop, means for casting off the old loop onto the first said instrument, means for operating an instrument to transfix the new loop and to push a further thread loop through it, and means for completely casting off the first said loop.

12. A method of producing interlooped stitches by the aid of blade-like pusher elements, which comprises the steps of feeding thread across the end of one element, causing said element to pass transversely ofand in close proximity to the other to transfix a previously formed loop thereon and to push a new loop of the thread just fed thereto through said previously-formed loop,-removing the transfixed loop from the second element so that it encircles the first, again feeding thread to one of said elements, operating said element to transfix said new loop and to push a further thread loop through it, completely casting off the first mentioned loop, and so on in repetition.

THOMAS HENRY JONES. 

